Castilian Dialects: A Deep Dive into Varieties and Influences
Castilian Dialects: Varieties and Influences
Castilian has different dialects, categorized as historical and contemporary.
Historical Dialects
Historical dialects are varieties derived directly from Latin and primitive languages simultaneous to Castilian. These languages were absorbed by Castilian influence. There are two main historical dialects:
- Leonese: Arising in the ancient kingdom of Leon, it retains some archaic phonetic and morphological features. The Asturian Language Academy recognizes its probable existence. Significant features include:
- Closing of word-final vowels (o > u, e > i: ate > comiú).
- Groups -as, -ais pronounced as -es, -eis, -en: cows > wackes them.
- Pronunciation of initial ‘ll’ in northern and central Leon: lobo > Llobu.
- Aragonese: Once the language of the Crown of Aragon’s court until Ferdinand’s arrival, it is preserved by the Consello d’Aragon. Notable features include:
- The Latin intervocalic group -kt- evolves to -it-: pectum > peito.
- Initial ‘l’ becomes ‘ll’: moon > lluna.
- Latin groups pl-, el-, and fl- are preserved: flame.
Contemporary Dialects
Contemporary Castilian dialects present two aspects: northern dialects, closer to the norm, and southern dialects, which are more differentiated. Andalusian, Extremaduran, Murcian, and Canarian are southern dialects of Castilian.
- Andalusian: Spoken in the eight provinces of Andalusia, it is not homogeneous and has several varieties. Its main features are:
- Ceceo in the southern part of Andalusia: pazar for pasar (to happen).
- Loss of syllable-final ‘r’: bond.
- Use of ‘ustedes’ (you) for ‘vosotros’ (you all) in certain provinces.
- Extremaduran: Shares traits similar to Andalusian:
- Closing of the final vowel -o to -u: benditu.
- Use of the suffix -ino.
- Murcian: Influenced by Moorish, Catalan, Aragonese, Andalusian, and Valencian. Spoken in Murcia and parts of Alicante and Albacete:
- Palatalization of initial ‘l’: llengua.
- Use of the suffix -ico: bird.
- Maintenance of the -ns- group, like in Aragonese: Ansi (so).
- Canarian: Presents similar characteristics to Andalusian and American Spanish, especially in emphasis:
- Use of ‘ustedes’ for ‘vosotros’ with verbs in the third person.
- Using simple past tense instead of the compound past.
- Lexicon from the Guanches: BAIF (goat).
Diglossia
In cultural anthropology, diglossia is a phenomenon where a more prestigious language dominates another with which it coexists. Its uses are unbalanced, and the second language is restricted to family and colloquial situations, risking its loss. Defining features of diglossia:
- Role and Prestige: The first language is used in education, while the second is used in the family.
- Acquisition: The first language is acquired and perfected in school, and the second language at home, as a mother tongue.
- Literary Heritage: Cultured literature is written in the first language, and less literary value in the second.
Bilingualism
Bilingualism occurs when two languages are used with ease and in combination in similar social situations, both having the same social and cultural prestige. There are two types of bilingualism:
- Individual: A person has a high level in both languages and can use them interchangeably in any situation.
- Social: A community recognizes and gives social status to both languages. Causes of social bilingualism include historical events, demographic superiority, power, demographic and cultural development, and emigration.